Hay-fork gr



time @firm JOHN K. ONEIL, OF KINGSTON, AND JOHN l, THUMAS, Ul" 'IllIRKlB-[Pllt COUNTY, NEW

' YORK, ASSIGN()RS"1`() JUHN lx'. ONllll..

Lette/rs Patent No. 85,844, (lated January 12, 1869.

HAY-FORK GRAPPLE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ons l. ONnin, oi" Kingston, in the county oi' Ulster, and State ot' i\' ew York, andl JOHN F. THOMAS, oi' l-lerltinier county, New York, have invented an Ilnproved (irapple or Clutch for Suspending Pulleys for lloise llay-.hoi-ks, and lor analogous uses; and we do herohy declare that the ibliowing is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inaliing part of this specification- Figure l being a side view ol' our hnprovcd grapple combined with a hoisting-pulley swivelled thereto.

Figure 2, a top view ofthe saine.

Figure 3, a side view ofa lnodiiied i'orin ol' the. grupple.

Figures 4 and 5, lctachcd views ol' parts of the grapple, of inodiiied construction or iorln. g

Figure (i, a side view oi' the grapple, otherwise iuodied in construction.

Figure 7, a view oi' one part ofthe grapple, showing a modified construction oi' the same.

Lilie letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Our improved grapple is designed l'or readily securing hoisting-pulleys or hooks to ral'ters and other tinibers of barns, stables, and staekers, in sneh a manner that they can he quickly detached, and tianslerred to di'ereut positions.

It is seltlattaching, and retains its hold automatically, with increased force as the weight raised increases.

lt consists of tln'ee lnain parts, a connecting-stock or bar, A, and two grappling-claus or prongs, 1S C.

To the stock A, the claws l C arc'pivoted respect-- ivcly at b and c,and the block or ease l) oi' the pulley E is swivelled thereto at nl.

The claws are peculiarly arranged in relation to the stock and to each other. llach one is pivoted at sonne distance to one side of thc centre ol' the stock, the most distant ii'oln its own position. lhns the pivot l' ol' the claw B is on t-he side ofthe stock next to the claw l', and the pivot c of the claw U is next to the ela-w l.

The claws cross each other in the stoelt, or outside `nthereof, substantially as represented, and where the crossing takes place, a verl ical slotorslois, y, are lorlned in the stock, and longitudinal slots Il. i respectively in the claws B C.

A holt, t, extends through all three ot' these slots, thus coniining the parts in the relai-ive posit-ions desired, while thel lengt-h ol' the slots allows sniiicient movement ofthe claws to enable their hooks or spurs d f to move in and out toward and t'roin each other, so as tofasteii upon any thickness ol' ra-l'tcror other'support which may ordinarily occur.

The pivots b e are not only situated outside of the centre of the stock, as shown, lult ahove the point of crossing, or where the bolt l passes through.

When a weight draws down upon the stock A, the eli'eet is to bear upon the pivot-ends oi' the claws, while the holt lavis as a i"nleruni to hot-h, thereby ina-king levers ot hoth claws, and iorcing the hooks or spurs :l and flownrd cach other, and hence forcibly grapplingrany support situated lutween thein; and the l'orrlol' this grapplingr increases with thc weight supported la' the pulley, also with the eccentricity of the pivots b e, as in iig. Si.

ll is also selllneiing, since the sustaining-torce is thel weight o1' the grapple and pulley; added to the' weight raised, and it is only necessaryr toplace one hook or spur against. the support, to cause the grapple to nnionnuieally seize it. On relieving the weight, the grapple. is at once separated lioin the support, and may he reniovcd to another place.

Instead oi' swivelliug the pulley to the grapple, as in ligs. 1 and .'5, there may he an eye at the betteln of llnstock, as atp, lig. i, for hooking the pulley or hoisling-apparatus thereto, or a hand or link may extend up over and around the stock, as at G, iig. (i.

ln ligs. l, 2, and 3, the stock A is represented as double, or l'oldcd over, so as to enclose the claws between its sides; but it may consist oi' a single tlat piece of metal, with the claws pivoted outside, either both on one side, or one on each side., as indicated in ligs. 4 and (i. 'lhtl inodiiieatiou intig. (i, shows the two claws pivoled together in the centre, as at n, and two bolts, b and e, attached respectively to the heels or inner ends thereof, to playin slots It and i, in the ends orexlrciuities oi the stock. By this arrangement the claws het-orne levers ot' a diiierent order from those in figs. land IS. 4

The pulley may ordinarily have a swivel, m, perinanent!)` secured in the stoel; oi' the grapple, but when it. inav he desirahletfo remove the pulley from the. grapple, we provide therefor h v ineans of the device shown in lig. T, lor its equivalent.

'lhe swivel-pin is inserted in a slot, 1t, its head passing through the side not-ches yu n, and when inserted, the head sinks below said notches upon the bottoni of the. stock A, and prevents the pin troni coming out, unless it is raised purposely, so as to bring the head again to the said notches. l

With slight changes in construction, the principle oi' this invention is applicable to the prongs oi horse hay-forl\'s.

What we claim as nn-invention, and. desire to secure hy Letters Patent, is

1. The grapple or clutch, having its claws B C pivoted to a connecting-bar, A, at separate points b c outside. ofthe central line of suspension, and crossing each other, to grapple on the other side of the said central line, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. Also, a grapple having its claws B C pivot-ed both to each other at their crossing, and to the connectingbar A at' separate points, substantially as herein specied.

3. Also, the slots 71 'i in the claws B C, for the purpose specified.

4. Also, the slot t, with side notches u u,forattacl1 ing the pulley to and from the grapple or clutch, substantially as specied.

. The above specification of our improved suspendinggrapple or clutch, signed by us this 3d day of October, 1868.

JOHN K. ONEIL. JOHN F. THOMAS. Witnesses to J OHN K. ONEILs signature:

HOWARD GHIPP, M. SOHOONMAKER. Witnesses to J OHN F. THOMAss signature:

W. W. THOMAS, L.Y S. WARNER. 

